Competitor adverts on my listings

[lr-new-used-kent]

Whats the point? Click on one of my listings and there is a sponsored (paid for?) insert at the top suggesting the potential buyer look at one of my competitors listings for what they want. To make matters worse, scroll down immediately below my picture of the item and sponsored listings of the same item from other sellers are highlighted along with price.  Immediately below that are then more sponsored scrollable items the same.  As if that werent bad enough, continue scrolling down to my description of the said item and whats found immediately below that?  You guessed it, every other listing that ebay has for the same item. So, on the listing I pay for, every other item the same as mine for sale on ebay, is on my page. I know it has been like that for quite a while now but I do wonder about the percentage of customers that land on my page and then click through to another seller?

[wholesalepack]

Hi, Fully agree with you, also now cancelations sky-rocketed because of it and returns are on the up. Ebay lost it big time...

[darth_baggins]

Seems this costs (from) 20p + VAT per click. I'd obviously never encourage anyone to click on the banner so the seller gets charged each time because that would be wrong.

[robustpack]

I totally agree, looks like ebay don't want you to get the sale anymore, as they will score more money from other sellers advertising on your listing, that's why it looks so messy.  They completly forgot about the buyer experience, nothing is tidy here anymore, it's look like a cheap website, which sadly is reflected now in the massive exodus of buyers.

[the_book_seekers]

I think ebay has created a problem of their own making. I read somewhere, on another thread I think, a buyer making a purchase and then having ebay show them a cheaper item that wasn't in the original search. So it seems to me that ebay is streamlining searches and then showing buyers cheaper items that there omitted in the first search after purchase. If this is the case it's a receipe for cancellations. 

[theelench]

I just read their reply on the "Ebay are reducing private sellers free listings...." thread.

I did wonder if I'd miss-understood their comment but apparently not.

Yet another to add to the list of ebay's daftest ever changes.  Not only are they making it more difficult to find what you want to buy.  They're now making you instantly regret buying it when you've finally found it!

Why wasn't the cheaper item top of the results page when you bought it??

Because the more expensive Sponsored item was?

🤣 😭

[santlache_sales]

eBay's policies actually encourage this, as you've found out to your cost.

Not helped I believe by eBay plastering adverts for your competitors all over your listings.

[hudsonsclothes]

It's all so backwards. I'm a new seller on here (2 Months in)  just slowly growing. I searched one or two of my items and get recommendations similar from big well-established sellers who can undercut me due to their size etc and it's hard to compete. I was full of enthusiasm starting out and its fading gradually with stuff like this, add to that the fees.

I sell retro and pre-owned clothing and find out now that private sellers get free listings on used clothing but not business sellers who pay a subscription and keep the platform going. So now private sellers can undercut me with their savings on fees and big businesses have their products listed next to mine to tempt people away also. It just feels pointless

[careycouture]

I went onto live chat about this last week who said they will forward to the relevant team, I have since had an email to explain that it was a glitch and they sent me a link to one of my items to show the glitch was cleared up........ my item had someone elses shop banner across it that sells Dyson hair dryers !!! But thats ebay saying it was a glitch and its fixed !!! i also bought something yesterday off a ebay member , a book, and then after i made the purchase i had a pop up if i would like to buy a computer mouse !!!! Unbelievable . I cant undersatnd who thinks any of this is a good idea 

[padanpcparts]

2 types of shoppers...so women and men basically? Every guy I know - in and out. Every woman I know - Oo I wonder what this, shall we have a look down this aisle, lets go to x shop and see if its cheaper. 🤣

[hudsonsclothes]

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@pg_kicks wrote:

If I went to Sainsburys to pick up some beans and under the Heinz was hey look at the other similar beans I'd be thinking why the hell are they doing this and I'd be pretty sure Heinz wouldnt be happy.

Sainsbury's would lose a lot of sales and would look back and think they shouldn't have done it in Heinz Sight 🙃 

[pg_kicks]

Pretty much, theres about 10% either side who do it the other way but having worked in mens fashion since I was 18 theres very few who just go for a look, we know what we want as we've bought it the last 10 years and dont need to change so its in and out or online its search and buy, much better things to be doing with my time than wandering around looking at 25 options for a white shirt when I know this shops sells and it fits.

[the-nutwood-collection]

Oo I wonder what this, shall we have a look down this aisle, lets go to x shop and see if its cheaper.

Then you look at your watch, see that there's five minutes left on the parking ticket - and go home with nothing except a vague memory of something nice you saw in one of the shops but you can't remember which one.

Same problem when a site  encourages link-clicking.  The buyer is sent down umpteen rabbit holes, then the oven timer pings or a notification comes up on the phone - and leaves without buying anything.

[thegoldstandard_hp]

This is odd it only started to appear on my items this month and not earlier. Was this slowly rolled out to more only recently?

[tressygirl]

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@thegoldstandard_hp wrote:

This is odd it only started to appear on my items this month and not earlier. Was this slowly rolled out to more only recently?

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Yep, others are seeing some items for example, video games, music items cd's etc. having a BP fee added.

[sheba-knows-best]

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@padanpcparts wrote:

2 types of shoppers...so women and men basically? Every guy I know - in and out. Every woman I know - Oo I wonder what this, shall we have a look down this aisle, lets go to x shop and see if its cheaper. 🤣

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Okay, so this little snippet might send your mind boggling... it has mine. I sell to men and women, as you know, and I have been driving my stock ever higher-end as the best way to compete against the private/business sellers. What I've noticed is that the higher end I go with women's clothes the more expectant and less pleasant my buyers become. The higher end I go with men's clothes, it's the opposite. Is this some weird socio-economic truth I've stumbled upon? That financially-wealthy women are more entitled than financially-poor women, whilst  financially-wealthy men are nicer than financially poor men?  It has me stumped. I'm a small seller. I keep thinking it's just an odd run. I'll be interested to see...

As to the competitor ads. I don't like them when the buyer has already paid. I quite like them in advance of that stage because, as a buyer, I search for what I want, and then deliberately look at the competition (ie what ebay suggests, to see if there is something similar cheaper or better) . The more I nose about, the more ebay sees what way I am thinking, and shows me stuff ever closer to what I want. Basically ebay has copied the Vinted model, where you have to keep clicking on what you want and it shows you more. If my buyers do the same, then they should feel they are being given a good selection and find something they want. If it is mine, great, if it isn't, no problem. I'd much prefer them to shop elsewhere than be in two minds, buy anyway and then return.  And as to losing the item you originally saw... it's quite difficult to do... as it usually opens in another tab. Plus, I usually 'watch' as I go. What I'm saying, is for me, the competitor ads make it much quicker for me to find what I want than the initial search engine.